Help Your Child’s Back for This Back to School Season!

It turns out the back to school season can be a ‘pain’ for kids in more ways than one…

Today’s kids are expected to carry more things to and from school than ever before, from heavy textbooks, projects, pencil boxes and homework.  The backpack started becoming a popular way for children to manage to haul these things each day to school, as a backpack distributes the weight across the back and shoulder muscles.  But with the weight continuing to increase, the main concern of doctors is the overload the backpacks provide, pulling kids spines out of alignment, causing their shoulders to hunch and them to continuously lean forward.  All of these symptoms are a chiropractors worst nightmare.

However, there are some things you can do to help manage your child’s back pain this fall.  A backpack made of lightweight material with two padded straps and a padded back generally works the best.  Also, talk to your child about the way he or she carries his or her pack and if the child experiences any back pain.  If back pain is indeed being experienced by the child, it may be time to break down the materials they are carrying into smaller, individualized bags, make sure only necessary belongings are in the pack, and if need be, consult the child’s teacher.